Electrode mechanism for electric furnaces



. 1,61 7 Feb. 8, 1927. I A E. GREENE 6, 98

ELECTRODE MECHANISM FORELECTRIC FURNACES Filed 0013.23, 1923 g gze 23 24I 7 I g F q 2 INVENTO'R Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRODE MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES.

Application filed October 23, 1923. Serial No. 670,285.

My present invention is a continuation in part of my applicationfor'patent, Serial No. 279,776, filed February 28, 1919.

My present invention relates to electrode cranes and to electrodeholders for electric furnaces. My previous application above referred todescribed my improvements embodying the use of vertical I-beams forsupportlng electrode holders. My present invention relates moreparticularly to vertically placed I- beams carrying electrode holders attheir upper'end and providing means of raising or lowering the I-beam inengagement .with suitable rollers instead of moving the rollers alongthe vertical I-beam.

I have found it advantageous to mount a vertical I-beam so it can movevertically along its own axis and at the same time raise 2 and lower anelectrode mounted on an arm attached to its upper end. In this way I amable to construct a very simple supporting arm for the electrode clampand am also able to mount the cables carrying the cur- 2 rent to theelectrode arm and in this way avoid having the conductors near the websof the I-beams. In this way I am able to get a higher power factor thanis possible when the cables are carried close to the supporting I-beam.I

One feature of my invention relates to the construction of guide rollerswhich serve to keepthe vertical I-beam in alignment.

In one modification my invention embodies the use of a suitable clamp atthe upper end of the vertical I-beam, which clamp serves to carry ahorizontal arm for supporting an electrode. This arm may either be apipe or it may be any other suitable structural member sufficientlystrong to carry the weight of the electrode and the electrode holder atits outer end. This arm may extend beyond the I-beam on the sideopposite the electrode and may serve to support insulators which carrythe conductors for the current to the electrode.

In one modification my invention contemplates a worm geared hoistmounted back of the I-beams and attached to the frame work of thefurnace, this worm gear hoist having a cable which operates on sheavewheels attached to the lower end of the I- beam serving to raise andlower the latter. These and other features of my present invention willbe further described in reference to the annexed drawings.

In the drawings Fig. l is an elevation view of the electrode craneembodying my present mvention; Fig. 2 is 'a plan view showing threeelectrode holders diagrammatically to illustrate the arrangement ofI-beams and electrode holder arms and conductors; Fig. 3 is a plan viewof one modification of my invention showing the method of keeping thevertical I-beam in alignment; Fig. 4; is an elevation view of a channelshaped vertically placed beam serving as an electrode crane mast inaccordance with my invention and showing rollers at the sides of it forkeeping it in aligmnent; Fig. 5 is a plan view section of the channelshaped beam shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an elevation view of another typeof vertical beam crane embodying my present invention; Fig. 7 is a planview of the beam shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1 I have shown here a rolling cylinder furnaceindicated at 1 with a spout 2 mounted on a supporting rail 3 on which itmay be rolled to pour the molten charge out of the spout.

The electrode crane structure consists of a vertical I-beam 4 which ismounted between rollers 5 and 6 and is supported on a cable 7 whichoperates under sheaves 8 and 9, the cable being wound up on a drum 10 onthe worm gear 11. The worm gear 11 is mounted on a suitable structuralframe 12 which is attached to the furnace shell. The worm gear may beoperated by hand wheel or by gears connecting it with the motor whichcould be mounted underneath the structural frame supporting the wormgear. I have shown two members13 and 14 which carry the guide rollers 5and 6. I also have shown other rollers 15 and 16 which may be adjustedto prevent the I-beams from moving out of alignment away from either ofthe guide rollers 5 and 6. These rollers 15 and 16 may be madeadjustable in accordance with my invention in my application for patentSerial No. 623,036, filed March 5, 1923.

I may also further accomplish the alignment of the vertical I-beam bylacing the sheave 9 at a greater distance rom the I- beam than thesheave 8 whereby an upward pull on the supporting cable will tend tokeep the back flange of the I-beam against the roller 6, thus when theelectrode is lowered until it rests on the charge there will be notendency for the vertical I-beam to change its position owing to thepressure 'ofthe electrode on the charge and this fact vertical I-beam inalignment and prevent its movement in either direction parallel to theaxis of these rollers. In Fig. 3 I have shown another method of keepingthe I- beams in alignment.

Referring to Fig. 3, instead of using front and back rollers withflanges as shown at 5 and 6 in Fig. 1 I may provide front and backrollers 31 and 32 against which the I-beam 33 presses, these rollersbeing located at different elevations. The weight of the arm extendingout on the side of .roller 31 would press the I-beam against the roller31 which roller is located above the roller 32 and the weight of theelectrode on the arm would also press the I-beam against the lowerroller 32. I have also shown rollers 34 and 35 which may be mounted soas to adjust the clearance between them and the flanges of the I-beam.By mounting two sets of these rollers 34 and 35, one set above theother, I am able to adjust the vertical alignment of the I-beam as itmoves in the line parallel to its axis. These rollers 34 and 35 may bemounted eccentrically so that the clearance may be easily adjusted byturning the eccentric axesof these rollers.

Referring now to Fig. l I have shown a clamp 17 at the top of the I-beam4 and an arm 18 which here I have shown as a pipe. This pipe may be madeof extra strong construction in order to carry the weightof theelectrode on its outer end. This may be mounted in the clamp 17 whichcan be bolted to go aroundit and therefore its position can be adjustedin order to move the electrode further out or nearer to the axis of theI-beam. The electrode is shown at 19 held in a suitable clamp 20 mountedin a clamping bracket 21, this latter being insulated from the pipe arm18 by suitable insulating material shown at 22. I have shown a cable forcarrying current at 23 mounted on an insulator 24 which insulator inturn is mountedon the pipe arm 18 back of the I-beam. This insulator isshown in Fig. 2 at 24 and the cables leading from the electrode 19through this insulator 24 are indicated at 23. I have also shown tworelates other electrodes 25 and 26 to illustrate the arrangement ofelectrode cranes for a three phase furnace. The cables to these twoother electrodes are shown at 27 and 28.

My present invention may be modified in various ways without gettingaway from the important improvements therein and I have found that ithas special advantages in low construction cost and ample rigidity andsimple operation. It also makes'possible a simpler support for theelectrode cables I have already referred to and it has every adjustmentnecessary for the proper alignment of electrode through the hole in thefurnace roof.

Figs. 4 and 5 show one modification of my invention where a channel ironis used as the vertical beam. In these two figures a channel iron isshown at 41 and in Fig. 4 which is an elevation view I have shownrollers 42 and 43 and other rollers 48 and 46 below and aboverespectively on one side of the channel serving to keep it in verticalalignment. These rollers are seen in Fig, 5 at 52 and on an axis 51.. Inthis Fig. 5 is shown another roller 53 on an axis 54, Adjustment ofthese rollers will serve to keep the vertical beam from getting out ofline to either side of its axis. In Fig. 4 I have shown a roller 45below and a roller 49 above which serve as the guides for the beam inits movement up and down, the roller 49 being on the side of theelectrode. I have also shown two other adjustable rolL ers. 57 below and58 above, which serve to take up the currents so that there will be notendency for the beam to move away from the electrode at its upper end.In the plan view shown in Fig, 5 these front and back rollers are shownat and 56.

In Figs. (5 and 7 I have shown another modification of vertical movablebeam in the shape of a T bar. In the plan view of Fig. 7 I have shown aroller 7 which may also be seen in the elevation view in Fig. 6 and Ihave also shown a roller on the front side or electrode side at 64- inboth these views. and another roller (38 on the opposite sides of themain flange at the T bar on the same axis as the roller 64. Theserollers together with the adjustable rollers and G9 serve for theadjustment and alignment of the T bar in the plane of the electrode. Tokeepthe vertical T beam in alignment so that it will not move from sideto side I have provided rollers 63 and 66 above and below respectively.

My invention broadly covers any of these modifications of vertical beamsand the means of keeping them in alignment.

In Fig. 1 I have shown an adjusting member 18 which serves to adjust theposition of the outwardly extending arm 18 above or below or on ahorizontal line.

My improvement has many advantages over the former construction, beingmuch.

less expensive to build, also lighter and very easily adjustable andadapted for the carrying of the current conductors in an extremelysimple and efficient manner.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an electric furnace having a top adjustable electrodefor arcing to the charge within the chamber of said furnace, and anelectrode holder for said electrode, said holder comprising a verticalbeam or mast and an'outwardly extending arm mounted on the upper end ofsaid beam, a clamping device on the outer end of said arm for holdingthe electrode, means for adjusting the eifective'length of said armbetween the electrode and the beam, and means for raising and loweringthe bea1n to regulate the height of the electrode with respect to thecharge.

2. In combination, an electric furnace having a top adjustable electrodeentering the chamber of .said furnace from above, and an electrodeholder comprising a vertical beam or mast mounted on one side of said.furnace, an outwardl extending arm mounted on the upper en of said mastin an adjustable clamp whereby said arm may be moved in the direction ofits axis and then held in adjusted position, and an electrode clamp onthe outer end of said adjustable'arm for carrying the electrode, and

.means for raising and lowering the mast to adjust the elevation of saidelectrode.

3. An electric furnace comprising a re fractory chamber for an electrodeto enter thru the top for arcing to the charge therein, and an electrodeholding device, said device comprising a vertically movable membercarrying an outwardly extending pipe arm held in a clamping device onsaid verticall movable member whereby the po- "sition 0 said pipe armcan be adjusted in or out from St1dclamping device to adjust theposition of an electrode held in a holder mounted on said arm.

4. An electric furnace comprising a refractory chamber to be heatedbycurrent entering thru an electrode thru the top of said chamber, and anelectrode holding device comprising a longitudinally adjustable pipe armextending out horizontally from a vertically movable member, means forholding the pipe arm in adjusted position with respect to said holder,and an electrode holding member mounted on said arm.

5. An electric furnace comprising a refractory chamber adapted for usingan adjustable electrode entering thru the roof thereof, and an electrodeholding device comprising a vertical beam movable vertically. in thedirection of its axis, a bracket at the upper end of said beam, meansfor holding an outwardly extending arm therein whereby the effectivelength of said arm can be adjusted and an electrode holding devicemounted on said arm to carry an electrode. 6. In an electric furnace, anelectrode holder comprising a vertically movable vertical beam membermounted to move in line with its axis, an electrode holding arm mountedon the upper end of said beam and carrying an electrode, and rollersmounted on said furnace for engaging the surface of said beam to kee itin alignment, and means for adjustlng the position of the roller axis ofoneor more of said rollers.

7. In an electric furnace, an electrode holder comprising a verticalbeam movable in a line approximately parallel to its axis and having anoutwardly extending arm mounted on its upper end whereby an electrodemay be carried in a clamp mounted on said arm, rollers mounted on saidfurnace

